Red Velvet Cupcakes

This easy red velvet cupcake recipe is one that you can whip up to perfection in no time. Top with my favorite cream cheese frosting, for the most perfect cupcake ever.

I adore pretty much any red velvet recipe. Adoration might not even be a strong enough word. I love a good slice of my red velvet cake recipe. And I can’t resist a red velvet brownie either. 

Yes this is absolutely pure love-a forever and ever I do kind of love. Like walk me down the aisle, friend. Me and red velvet will never part ways.

Over the years, I have played around with this cupcake recipe and although the original was good, I found it had a bit too much oil and left a little bit of oil in the bottom of the wells after it’s baked. 

So I decided to use half butter and half oil. The butter helps to create a tender, fluffy cupcake while the oil helps to make it a moist one. Using half and half creates the perfect red velvet cupcake. Topped with my favorite cream cheese frosting and you have the perfect dessert for any special occasion or party!

Why This Recipe Works

• Perfect red velvet cupcakes for Christmas, Valentine’s Day or the 4th of July
• Topped with an easy to mix up tangy cream cheese frosting.
• Wonderful to freeze and make ahead!

See Also:

• If you love cranberries, you have to try my Cranberry Cheesecake Bars! With a graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake filling, fresh cranberry swirl, and a crumble topping, these bars are the perfect make-ahead dessert for the holidays!
• Layered with fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream this vanilla sponge cake is a beautiful cake to make any time of year!
• If you’re looking for a showstopping cake, this Milk Bar cake is the perfect dessert to make for a birthday!
• Calling all peanut butter lovers with this super easy peanut butter cream cheese frosting to use on all your favorite cake recipes!
• This easy vanilla cupcake recipe uses melted butter so it comes together in minutes and no mixer is needed!
• When it’s summertime then you have to make these S’mores cupcakes with toasted meringue frosting and graham cracker bottom!
• Get a mixing bowl and make the easiest cake ever! This Tornado cake recipe (aka do nothing cake) made with crushed pineapple, coconut, and pecans!

Ingredients needed

• Cake flour – I love using cake flour because it has a lower protein content than regular all purpose flour which means you get a light and fluffy cupcake in the end. If you don’t have any you can use AP flour, or make your own cake flour (just know this will affect your results in the end). For more recipes that use cake flour, check out my 41 cake flour recipes.
• Sugar
• Baking soda
• Cocoa powder – Red velvet has a hint of cocoa powder added to the mixture. You want to use unsweetened cocoa powder or natural cocoa powder, and not dutch process. Dutch cocoa powder will not react the same way with the baking soda. You can read more here about natural cocoa vs dutch process cocoa.
• Salt
• Eggs
• Unsalted butter
• Canola oil – You can use another neutral-tasting oil but this is an oil-based cake recipe, which means it comes together easily and results in moist cupcakes!
• Buttermilk – A true red velvet cake is made with buttermilk to give it that tangy flavor, adds moisture, and reacts with the baking soda. If you don’t have any you can make your own buttermilk whole milk and lemon juice or white vinegar. 
• Vanilla extract
• Vinegar 
• Red Food Coloring – I used liquid food coloring, but you could also use gel food coloring (you will not need as much as it’s stronger).

How To Make Red Velvet Cupcakes:

Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking soda,  cocoa powder, and salt and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar. In a second mixing bowl with a hand mixer  or in your stand mixer with paddle attachment cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed.

Add wet ingredients. Add egg and beat to combine. Add vanilla, oil, and red food coloring.  

Alternate the flour and buttermilk. Stir vinegar into buttermilk. Alternate the flour and buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Beat just until combined. Do not overmix. 

Bake. Divide the cupcake batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full.  Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The cupcakes should bounce back when you touch the tops.

Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.  

Make the cream cheese frosting

To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

Mix in the vanilla extract.

Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar and pinch of salt until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. (I used a large, unlabeled star tip to frost these cupcakes.)

I then place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with the Wilton 1M piping tip and frost the cupcakes once cooled.

Recipe Tips

• Measure correctly. Be sure to measure your flour correctly. Over measuring your flour could result in a tough dense cupcake. Use the spoon and level method.
• Check your leavening agents! Make sure your leavening agents are fresh. The key to cupcakes rising perfectly is make sure your baking powder and baking soda haven’t expired. If you are not sure you can test to see if they bubble. Add a a teaspoon of baking soda to a a few tablespoons of vinegar. Add a teaspoon of baking powder to a few tablespoons of warm water. If they bubble, they are good to use! If not, then throw them out and start over.
• Do not overfill. Make sure to not overfill your cupcake wells. Overfilled cupcakes will create a mess when they rise, stick to the pans, and also deflate after they cool. It’s one of the reasons your cupcakes sink in the middle.
• Cool properly. Once baked, it’s essential to take them out of the pan and let them cool on a cooling rack. If you leave them in the pan, they will continue to bake from “carryover heat”, which means your cupcakes could come out perfect and then end up being being dry if left in the pan.
• Frost when cool. Frost your cupcakes after they have cooled completely. If you are new to decorating cupcakes, check out my Ultimate Guide To Decorating Cupcakes! I also just used one cupcake and crumbled it to use as a decoration. It’s one easy way to decorate your cupcakes. Check out my 9 Cupcake Decorating Ideas for more inspiration!
• Use two non-stick cupcake pans. Be sure to use a non-stick cupcake pan when baking cupcakes. And I always recommend having two on hand, so you put both in your oven if they fit (or quickly swap one out of the oven and put your second pan in without having to wait for the first one to cool).
• Rotate your pans. For cupcakes that all come out perfectly, I like to set my timer for half the time the recipe calls for in order to remember to rotate my pans halfway through baking. Most ovens have what are called “hot spots” where it’s hotter in certain areas. So cupcakes that are in the “hot spots” can bake faster than others, so by rotating your pans halfway through you can ensure they evenly bake.  

Make Ahead And Storage Instructions

Store any frosted cupcakes covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Because of the cream cheese frosting, I recommend storing in the refrigerator. The frosting should not stay out at room temperature.

You can make the red velvet cupcakes up to 2 days in advance, unfrosted. Just wrap the unfrosted cupcakes in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. The frosting can be made up to a week in advance. Just store in your refrigerator for up to a week. You may need to place them back in your mixer and rewhip back to the same consistency. 

You can also make the cupcakes and freeze for up to 2 months. Learn how to freeze your cupcakes here. Thaw at room temperature then frost.

Recipe FAQ’s

More Recipes To Try

If you’re craving more cupcakes, be sure to try my Oreo cupcakes with Oreo frosting! They are an oreo lover’s dream.

Or you can’t go wrong with my easy vanilla cupcake recipe. They are the perfect beginner’s cupcake to make.